Back in ancient China and Japan, when agriculture was the backbone of society and the focal point of everyday life for the vast majority of the population, farmers broke down the year in twenty-four Sekki. In contrast to our four clunky seasons, those so-called “small seasons” (節気) were not pinned down to stiff calendar dates, but based on environmental phenomena and the rhythm of nature instead. In consequence, each Sekki is linked to a specific climatic shift or a recurring transformation in the fauna and flora, lasts for about two weeks and is described at times completely prosaic, at times with almost poetic language to visualize the characterising changes.

Even though living on a different continent means that nature follows a different flow over here and therefore not every Sekki can be carried over seamlessly, I like to tap into this special kind of calendar once in a while. Moreover, the small seasons of course aren’t as crucial to me as they used to be for the Asian farmers back in the day, but instead act as a friendly reminder to rekindle a deeper connection with nature and, in general, practice mindfulness more often.

With the new year setting in, it feels timely to propose the concept in itself and point to ‘A Guide to Understanding Small Seasons’ by Ross Zurowski in particular once again. To help you get started, the Canadian designer and developer set up a short and simplistic website a few years ago and even provided some handy tools to add Sekki to your own Google or iCal calendar.